Need a walkthrough

Don't use your thumb to hold the steth in place.

Hold it like this in the picture below...

http://forthemedia.uthouston.edu/newsreleases/nr2005/gfx/nurse-blood-pressure.jpg

If you feel for the pulse (usually way on the inside of the elbow) beforehand, you then know exactly where to put the scope.

How timely. It took me 45 minutes to take my own BP in lab last week.

I finally got the bright idea to find my pulse sound first - then take the BP reading. Oh yes I can be the slow classmate at times.

My instructor finally took pity on me and had me try finding my brachial artery much more laterally. That worked. Remember, there's a good amount of variation with the location of these arteries and veins.

Maybe mine is harder to hear because it's faint? I'm almost always 90/60.

How timely. It took me 45 minutes to take my own BP in lab last week.

I finally got the bright idea to find my pulse sound first - then take the BP reading. Oh yes I can be the slow classmate at times.

My instructor finally took pity on me and had me try finding my brachial artery much more laterally. That worked. Remember, there's a good amount of variation with the location of these arteries and veins.

Maybe mine is harder to hear because it's faint? I'm almost always 90/60.

Was that in A&P lab? I remember doing that one. I asked if I could do it on the lab tech and she said no. She was tired of everybody doing it on her. So I had to do it on myself (which is hard!) and she started to tell me how to do it. I'm like, "I've been doing BPs on people for over 10 years now both as an EMT and PCT". It's easier to do it on somebody else...She told me to just put the steth up under the bladder of the BP cuff to hold it in place. Whatever....

Yeah - in A&P II lab. Silly me, I was so consumed with thinking about taking the exam in a few minutes, I didn't read directions for taking a BP. The lab tech also told me to just watch the needle and see where it drops. I knew that was something we should NOT be doing.

Is it my low BP (90/60) that makes it so darn hard to hear?

Yeah, probably. In first semester when we had to get checked on BPs in lab, mine was really, really low. The girl checking mine couldn't hear it. So then the teacher came over and couldn't hear it either. I was so scared that I was going to get kicked out of the program! She was like, "are you alright, do you feel ok??" So then I got all stressed out and they finally got a pressure, probably as a result of stress and taking the BP over and over again in the same location!

Yep. I've decided to buy the basic nursing equipment before I start the program and start practicing now. I don't want to be fumbling in the first semester with this type of thing. Just the other day I tried to look in my cat's eyes with a pen light. Of course he bit me. Onto human subjects...

Just the other day I tried to look in my cat's eyes with a pen light. Of course he bit me. Onto human subjects...

Guess he's pretty much not an option when practicing catheters or IVs, huh?! :roll

LOL! I remember trying to listen to heart and lung sounds with my cat, be he was just purr like mad when I'd try! Ever heard a cat's purr with a littman steth?!?